Thought and Belief 3 Arguments Flashcards
OA: What are the modal terms: contingent, necessary, possible, impossible?
A CONTINGENT thing is something that either exists (like a penguin) or doesn’t exist (like a lightsaber), yet
could have been otherwise. Subject to change
An IMPOSSIBLE thing is something that could never exist, i.e., it could never show up on the A list.
A NECESSARY thing is something that must always exist, i.e., it could never show up on the B list.
A POSSIBLE thing is something that is either contingent or necessary. It includes all existing things, and all
contingent non-existent things
OA: What is the difference between existence in reality, and existence in the understanding, for Anselm? What about existence ONLY in the understanding?
- existence in understanding: to exist in one’s personal thoughts
- existence in reality: to exist objectively
-Does not mean it is proven
OA: Be able to explain the three main premises in Anselm’s argument
Premise 1: It is possible to conceive of a being than which nothing greater can be conceived, namely God.
Therefore he is a perfect being and none can be conceived higher than him making him non- contingent
Premise 2: It is possible to conceive of a being that must exist, that is, a necessary being.
It is argued that a necessary being, a being that must exist, is greater than a being that is contingent could fail to exist
Premise 3: It is possible to conceive of a being that may not exist, that is, a contingent being.
But God is described as a necessary being since his existence is described as perfect and therefore must exist rather than a contingent being that relies on external factor making it imperfect and able to not exist
OA: Explain the two ways that something can be conceived for Anselm (see the text, Ch. IV). Which allows one to say that “God does not exist”? Why?
- A thing is conceived when the word signifying it is conceived
- A thing is conceived when the very entity which the object is, is understood
In #1 you can say that God does not exist because God can be thought or conceived not to exist given sense.
OA: What is the Extreme Position? Is it a good objection to Anselm’s argument?
The extreme position is that no concepts apply to God because he transcends human understanding. Therefore we cannot logically prove the existence of God which makes it logically defective as an objection.
OA: What is Gaunilo’s Perfect Island Objection? What is Anselm’s main response to it?
He is trying to demonstrate that Anselm’s reasoning is faulty: if the island truly does exist then it shouldn’t be hard for someone to prove to him the existence of it.
He does not flinch: anyone can think that anything exists in reality or concept except that than which a greater cannot be conceived to reasoning
CA: What is the difference between an apriori and an aposteriori argument?
a priori argument is one that is based on reasoning and knowledge that is independent of experience or empirical evidence.
a posteriori argument is one that is based on empirical evidence, sensory experience, or observations of the external world.
CA: Craig offers both philosophical and scientific reasons for P1: Whatever begins to exist has a cause. What are they?
(a) Something cannot come from nothing.
Claiming that something that can just from nothing is worse than the idea of magic, and if you deny this first premise than you must think the entire universe just popped into existence even with all its complex moving parts.
(b) Common experience and scientific evidence confirm the truth of premise 1.
Aside from our theorizing, the science of cosmology itself is based on the assumption that there are causal conditions for the origin of the universe, as well as for the ordinary causal events going on in nature.
CA: In our reading and video, Craig explains the scientific reasons behind the Big Bang. Be familiar with them.
His reasons are that we can see distant galaxies moving farther away which supports the idea that the universe was once in a central hot and dense state. And that the detection of cosmic radiation supports that same big bang theory of everything being in that hot state at one point. Additionally, there is the redshift of light moving away from galaxies that also support the slow expansion of the universe consistent with the big bang theory.
CA: How does entropy help defend P2 of the Kalam argument?
Because the universe must be fed energy to maintain its state under the 2nd law and under entropy. But if it stretches back infinitely then why is it not in a state of heat death? therefore it must have a beginning and a cause.
CA: Why does Craig believe that there cannot be an infinite series of past moments?
Because contradictions arise when we create infinities like how under the theory that everything needs energy to exist, then if there was an infinite past to the universe then we would be at a dead state and out of energy.
CA: If the Kalam argument is correct, then what kinds of features or characteristics must the cause of the universe have?
- It transcends space and time (since it caused space and time)
- It is changeless (because it is timeless)
- It is not material (because it is spaceless)
- It is uncaused (since nothing could have been “before” it)
- It is incredibly powerful (since it caused the entire universe)
- It is personal since:
o The only sorts of entities that transcend space-time are abstract objects and
minds. Abstract objects are passive and causally inert, so it must be active and conscious
TA: Explain the method of abductive inference. What are the key factors involved in evaluating an abductive inference?
Abductive reasoning attempts to justify an explanation with the best explanation, all things considered. Goes from an observation to a theory which accounts for the observation.
TA: What does it mean to say that the universe is “fine-tuned” according to Collins?
That the universe is so specific and complex that it needed to be fine tuned by hand from a higher being.
TA: What does it mean to say that “the existence of fine-tuning is very improbable under atheism?”
Because the argument implies the universe was fine tuned by a higher being which goes against Atheism which believes in only what they can see.
